1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable communication devices, and more particularly to a cradle apparatus which includes a first display device, and a second display device cradled at the same angle with the first display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As expressed herein and as generally known in the art, the term “a portable communication device” refers to a device that allows a user to execute wireless communication with a counterpart while the user carries it. Such a portable communication device may be represented as a HHP (hand-held phone), a CT-2 cellular (cordless) phone, a digital phone (voice over IP), a PCS phone (portable communication system), and a PDA (personal digital assistant), or other similar communication types devices. Typically, a portable communication device is classified into various types according to its external appearance. For example, a portable communication device (or wireless terminal) may be classified into a bar-type terminal, a flip-type terminal or a slide-type terminal according to its external appearance. The above-mentioned portable communication devices essentially include an antenna device, a data input/output device, and a data reception/transmission device. Of course, keypads that allow data input through pushing action by a user's fingers are widely employed as the data input device.
The slide-type wireless terminal includes a main body having a keypad, a sliding body having a display unit, and a sliding module for allowing the sliding body to be slid from the main body.
However, the conventional slide-type wireless terminals have a number of problems that cause inconvenience to the user. For example, a separate cradle is employed in order for a user to conveniently see information displayed on a display device. The cost of the separate cradle represents an additional financial burden to a user. In fact, it is well-known that a user can more conveniently see information items displayed on a display device if the user sees the information items when the display unit is in a tilted position. However, in the past, unless a separate cradle was provided, the user had to grasp main body of a display device and tilt it so as to see information items displayed on the display device in a more convenient manner. Consequently, it is inconvenient for a user to see a picture displayed on a display device on a table or the like unless a cradle is separately provided.
Korean Patent No. 0678215 discloses in detail some configurations of a portable terminal and a sliding cradle apparatus thereof in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which are duplicated from the above-mentioned Korean patent, a sliding cradle apparatus 10 of a portable terminal is shown that includes: a first housing 20 with a plurality of keys 21, and a second housing 30 with a display device 31, which is slid on the first housing 20 in such a manner that the second housing 30 is tiltedly cradled on the first housing 20 after being slid open, wherein the cradle apparatus 10 includes: a first member 50 provided in the first housing 20, a second member 60 anchored to the second housing 30; a sliding guide unit 70 provided between the first and second members 50 and 60 so as to guide the sliding movement of the second housing 30; and a hinge means 80 provided between the first member 50 and the sliding guide unit 70 in such a manner that the second member 60 and the sliding guide unit 70 can be rotated about a hinge axis A1 away from a position where they are arranged opposite to the first member 50.
However, the conventional sliding apparatus of the portable terminal has disadvantages in that since it employs a configuration that requires the second housing be tiltedly cradled after it is slid open to expose the keys on the first housing, the space for installing the keys is restricted. Further, since the display device should be provided only on the second housing, it is impossible to use a large display device.
In addition, since the conventional hinge means includes a hinge arm, a rod, a cam and a coil spring, as shown in FIG. 1 of the aforementioned Korean patent application, a space for installing these components is required, and since the number of components is increased, manufacturing costs and assembling steps are also increased.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus that can provide a large display device, and a wide keypad, and which can reduce the number of components so that a resultant product can be miniaturized and manufacturing costs and assembling steps can be reduced.